Fredrick benoit



2 Sheets-Shet 1.

P. BENOIT.

EGG CARRIER (No Model.)

No. 483,161. Patented July 29, 1890;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. BENOIT.

EGG CARRIER.

No. 433,161. Patented July 29,1890.

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FREDRICK BENOIT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSI GNOR TO HIHSELF AND CHESTER A. HODGE, OF SAME PLACE.

EGG-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,161, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed December 16, 1889. Serial No. 333,905. (No model.)

To all whom it nwy concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRIOK BENOIT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in. the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in EggCarriers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is intended to provide a practical construction of rack for use in egg-carriers, wherein wood is used to form the eggpockets instead of the pasteboard commonly employed.

The nature of the invention and the details thereof will be fully understood from the accompanying drawings, and the description thereof given below.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved rack. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is an edge view. Fig. 4 is a section upon the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and (3 are detail views of the corner joints of the outside frame of the rack. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views showing the manner of securing the partitions in the outside frame.

My improved rack is provided with a surrounding frame composed of woodveneer strips A and A. These strips, which are frail at best, and Very liable to split when they become dry, and thus be destroyed, are rendered proof against harm from this cause by passing them through a sewing-machine, which provides them with transverse lines of stitching a at intervals along their length, such number of these lines being provided as will prevent the strip from falling apart, even if it does split. I preferably provide the strips A and A with flexible or hinged joints at their junctions formed of pieces of cloth I), inclosing the end of the strips A, and with a side loop or extension I), said cloth being stitched both to the strips A and A, substantially as indicated at Figs. 5 and 6. These flexible joints allow the frame to be collapsed, and they form a very permanent and strong union. \Vith this cloth hinge I do not find it necessary to halve the parts of the frame together nor to tenon them together. If the ends abut against each other, as shown, the hinge gives all the strength to the union which is requisite.

The egg pockets or slots are formed wholly of narrow wood-veneer strips B B. These are employed and used in series or layers, each layer being laid crosswise of its neighborlayers, so that the walls of the egg-pockets are formed of independent narrow and flexible strips, thereby permitting the yielding by the walls in all directions should an unusually large egg be placed in any of the pockets. I preferably employ three layers of these partition-strips in each direction, as illustrated; but a less number may be used or a greater number without sacrificing the feature of flexibility referred to. These narrow strips are passed through slots 0 formed in the frame, and they are preferably locked in such slots by notching the ends of the partition-strips, as particularly shown by Fig.7 at d, the strips being wider than the slots are high, so that when the notched ends are inserted in the slots they will be automatically held. The flexible nature of the material allows these notched ends to be sprung into the slots readily. \Vith the partition-strips thus secured in the frame there is no difficulty in collapsing the rack in the usual manner, as the partition-strips and sides are all flexible, and, moreover, the slot 0 maybe made slightly wider than the partition-strips are thick; but the natural flexibility of the parts allows the collapse, even if the slots are notthus enlarged.

I find it desirable that the frame-strips be stitched across at either side of the slots 0, as indicated. This prevents any tearing out of the frame-strips or enlarging of the slots 0, so that the partition-strips will at all times be confined with sufficient firmness and in their proper position.

To facilitate the putting in of the partitionstrips, that portion of those strips outside of the notches may be reduced slightly in width, as shown, or in lieu thereof they maybe split, so as to allow them to be narrowed momentarily while they are being inserted in the slots of the frame.

I claim 1. The collapsible rack for egg-carriers, consistin g of veneer strips forming the frame, and layers or series of narrow flexible and indein layers crossing each other and secured at heir ends only, substantially as set forth.

3. The collapsible rack for egg-carriers, all

the walls of Whose cells are yielding and are combined with a surrounding frame, substantially as set forth; 4. The collapsible rack for egg-carriers, consisting of the crossedlayers or series of independent flexible narrow partition-strips having no attachment to one another and secured FREDRICK BENOIT.

WVitnesses: 5

H. M. MUNDAY, EMMA HACK.

- only to thesurrounding frame, and said frame, 20 substantially as set forth. 

